Creating an optimal start during the first 1,000 days of children is an important focus for researchers and policy makers. Parents can positively influence child development through sensitive... Show moreCreating an optimal start during the first 1,000 days of children is an important focus for researchers and policy makers. Parents can positively influence child development through sensitive parenting, which is the ability to understand and promptly and adequately respond to a child’s signals. This thesis provides insight in the development of sensitive parenting from infancy to toddlerhood in primiparous mothers and fathers through longitudinal data from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States. The results demonstrate that fathers and mothers respond more sensitively to their baby in more ecologically valid contexts, i.e. during situations more representative of their daily reality, than in less ecologically valid contexts. Therefore, we recommend to take context into account when parenting skills are studied and evaluated. Next, we made a first step towards clarity on the way parents reflect on the parent-child relationship during the transition to parenthood and in relation to parental sensitivity. We found weak evidence for the theorized link between this reflection and parental sensitivity. Finally, we found that mothers and fathers are equally sensitive across the first two years, and sensitivity levels during this period increase in both parents, indicating that mothers and fathers actually do become better in sensitive parenting. Show less
This thesis investigated the development of emotional functioning in 2-to-6-year-old children with and without autism. Whereas autistic children experienced more challenges in the emotional domain,... Show moreThis thesis investigated the development of emotional functioning in 2-to-6-year-old children with and without autism. Whereas autistic children experienced more challenges in the emotional domain, their emotional abilities improved with age, and developed in similar ways as observed in non-autistic children. On the one hand, this thesis showed that autistic children might deal with emotions in a different way, and they might experience various difficulties when communicating emotions with non-autistic people. One the other hand, it is important to note that the difficulties could be bidirectional. As stated by the “double empathy problem”, non-autistic people may experience the same difficulties when communicating with autistic people. This could be a meaningful direction for future research, investigating emotional communication as a two-way interaction rather than focusing only on how people with autism react to people without autism. Furthermore, this thesis showed that autistic children had the potential to learn and to develop in the emotional domain. Again, this points to the importance of investigating how to create an inclusive social environment, which is not only nurturing for children without autism, but can also benefit the development of children with autism and with other special needs. Show less
Michelle Achterberg is a developmental neuroscientist with an interest in social emotional development. In her thesis, Michelle provides a comprehensive overview of the underlying mechanisms of... Show moreMichelle Achterberg is a developmental neuroscientist with an interest in social emotional development. In her thesis, Michelle provides a comprehensive overview of the underlying mechanisms of social emotion regulation in childhood. Her studies show that the brain is prone to signal for socially relevant information. She revealed that the network of social saliency is already present in childhood, indicating that this might be a core social mechanism.The thesis additionally shows that social rejection is often followed by behavioral aggression, and regulation of these retaliation emotions is related to control mechanisms of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Moreover, the results show that the vast architecture of functional subcortical-prefrontal brain connectivity is already in place in middle childhood and suggest fine tuning of (social evaluation) brain networks across childhood. These findings highlighting the need to incorporate childhood into developmental models of social emotion regulation.Neuroimaging research, specifically neuroimaging in children is prone to challenges and several methodological considerations need to be taken into account when studying the childhood brain. In spite of these difficulties, studying childhood brain development has the potential to provide important insights into a unique developmental window of opportunity. Show less
This dissertation focuses on the development of children in family foster care and examines which characteristics related to the foster child, the foster family, and the foster placement are... Show moreThis dissertation focuses on the development of children in family foster care and examines which characteristics related to the foster child, the foster family, and the foster placement are associated with foster children’s development. We used meta-analysis and longitudinal research to provide a better insight in foster children’s development. In sum, this dissertation clarifies that foster children vary greatly with respect to their developmental functioning. We found several characteristics related to foster children’s development. Although these characteristics partly explain foster children’s development and thereby provide useful insights, they cannot explain the total variance in foster children’s development. It is both this lack of an accurate model for foster children’s development and the heterogeneity of developmental trajectories that lend significance to screening and monitoring of foster children’s development. We advise foster care agencies to systematically implement screening and monitoring measures in order to capture foster children’s developmental diversity. This enables timely identification of those foster children who experience developmental difficulties and are therefore at risk for negative developmental trajectories and breakdown. Researchers and foster care professionals should establish collaborations in order to improve the validity as well as the feasibility of screening and monitoring children in foster care. Show less
One of the most prominent changes in adolescence is social reorientation. In other words, adolescents develop more intimate relationships with peers, they discover what it is like to be involved in... Show moreOne of the most prominent changes in adolescence is social reorientation. In other words, adolescents develop more intimate relationships with peers, they discover what it is like to be involved in a romantic relationship, and they take (social) risks by for example showing risky driving in the presence of friends. Given that social networks with peers become central elements in the adolescent’s life, investigating the role of individual differences related to the development of social reorientation seems highly relevant. This dissertation contributes to a better understanding of stability and change in social reorientation during adolescence by explaining the crucial role of empathy in social interactions from a brain and behavioral perspective. Future research can benefit from the presented studies by applying it to a more detailed analysis of individual differences in this important period in life, which may help to explain why some adolescents are successful in developing social competencies and relationships, whereas others experience difficulties. Eventually, this may lead to the development of interventions for youth who do not cope well with the social requirements from the environments, and help to improve their lives and the lives of individuals around them Show less
We examined the development of international adoptees from infancy to young adulthood, and factors influencing developmental outcomes in middle childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. The... Show moreWe examined the development of international adoptees from infancy to young adulthood, and factors influencing developmental outcomes in middle childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. The results for cognitive development (Chapter 2) showed that early malnutrition influenced cognitive and health-related outcomes, but its consequences did not extend to socioeconomic success later in life. The human brain seems capable of adapting to changing environmental influences, but earlier placement in a positive family environment should be preferred (see also Chapter 1). The adoptees in the Leiden Longitudinal Adoption Study were exposed to few adversities due to their early adoptive placement, and the combination with the nurturing environment of a permanent adoptive family resulted in positive cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes (Chapters 2 and 3). Our results for longitudinal (sensitivity) and concurrent relations (reactivity to infant crying) with attachment representations in young adulthood (Chapters 3 and 4) clearly point to this role of the family environment in predicting social-emotional outcomes. High parenting quality is important, also in families where children do not share a common genetic basis with their parents. In sum, adoption can be seen as a positive intervention and the (adoptive) family environment matters for children growing up from infants to young adults. Show less
